Elbow Room
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH: Danni Mahone has found her dream job: Owner of the local bar in Dutch Harbor Alaska. Danni believes that she has finally found her place in the world…but soon realizes that there is something far more important she truly desires: Love.
1. Chapter 1

"Knock it off

"Knock it off!" shouted Danni from behind the bar at the Elbow Room in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

Two fisherman had been arguing all night and finally decided to break out into an all-out fist fight. Combined with increasing tempers, alcohol and weariness, the men's patience had finally wore out.

"I said knock it off!" screamed Danni when the two fighters did not listen to her the first time.

She sighed in exasperation and pulled her black hair back into a messy ponytail. Her blue eyes flashed with irritation as she leapt over the bar and grabbed one of the men by the collar.

He was a younger fisherman, around her age she guessed, with dark hair and matching dark eyes. Tattoos peeked out from under his t-shirt and the earring in his ear made her smirk. He definitely was not from around here at all.

"When I say knock it off, I mean knock it off!" she yelled, the smirk on her face quickly changing to one of anger, "Both of you!"

She shot a glare at the other fisherman who was wiping a hand across a bloody lip. He was also in his late twenties and had blonde hair and blue eyes. He was more cleanly cut than the dark-haired boy but no less angry and impulsive.

"Sorry," mumbled the dark-haired boy, suddenly looking very nervous.

Danni narrowed her eyes suspiciously but suddenly broke out into a wide grin when she saw who was approaching them. Phil Harris stomped over, eyes gleaming with anger. He glared at the dark-haired boy and then shot Danni an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Danni," he said sincerely, "My son doesn't know the rules here yet and he's a little too hard-headed for his own good."

Danni's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at the boy.

"You have two sons?"

"Yeah, Jake's been on board for a while now and this ruffian decided to jump on too. His name's Josh."

Phil shot his son another disapproving look. Josh glanced away awkwardly and turned his eyes to the other fisherman. He gave him an accusing look and sneered slightly at him.

"You wanna go?" challenged the blonde-haired boy, looking rather fierce, "If you're tryin to start something, bring it greenhorn!"

"And that one there is Blake Painter," said Phil with a glare at the blonde-headed boy, "Believe it or not but he's captain of the Maverick. Loud mouth but good skipper. And no, Blake, there won't be any more fighting today. Let's go Josh."

Blake looked somewhat disappointed but as Josh walked out he gave him the finger. Josh was infuriated but knew better than to react with his father walking beside of him. After the two left, Danni crossed her arms and gave Blake an amused look.

"So," she said as she sauntered over to him, "Why are you picking fights with greenhorns captain?"

Blake growled low in his throat and looked away.

"He started it," he muttered.

Danni rolled her eyes.

"Men," she sighed as she jumped back on the bar and slid over to the other side.

She pulled a rag out of her back jeans pocket and began wiping down the counter. Blake watched her for a moment, uncertainty in his eyes. Danni glanced up and saw him looking at her. She smiled slightly and leaned over the counter towards him.

"Somethin' on your mind?"

Blake swallowed nervously under her crystal blue eyes.

"Um, yeah. Can I get a beer?" he asked, lamely.

Danni rolled her eyes again and sighed as she turned around to fix him his drink.

After three years of job-hopping she had finally found the one place on earth she wanted to be…Dutch Harbor Alaska. No one else on earth would truly want to live here, but she did. There was something about it that called to her. It just felt right.

And something about this young captain just felt right too…


	2. Chapter 2

Early the next morning, Danni scrubbed the tables inside the Elbow Room

Early the next morning, Danni scrubbed the tables inside the Elbow Room. She glanced out the front window and caught a glimpse of the sun rising over the horizon. She smiled to herself, realizing how lucky she truly was.

For three years Danni had been searching for the right job. She had worked in stores and bars from Virginia all the way to California, always on the move. She never really settled down because she never felt that she had found the one true place she belonged.

That is until she discovered Dutch Harbor. It was supposed to be just a sort of vacation when she stumbled upon the Elbow Room. A large sign out front advertised that it was for sale and the wheels in Danni's head began to turn. After a week of staying at Dutch Harbor, something about the place felt right to her. She scraped up all the money she had left, took out a large loan, and bought the Elbow Room.

For the past summer she had worked on renovating the small bar to prepare for the inevitable arrival of the King Crab crowd. The inside of the bar had been turned into more of a homey look rather than a run-down fishery. She had found discounted sofas and chairs and placed them randomly in the room. The rugs on the floor were different colors and patterns and the pictures on the wall varied from exotic plants and waterfalls to Alaska terrain. The seemingly unorganized decorations attracted a variety of new customers and intrigued the old-timers.

Just then, the little bell above the front door jingled, jolting Danni from her happy reverie. She turned around quickly, brushing a stray black strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hey, we open in an hour," she said over her shoulder.

"That's fine. I just wanted to get in from the cold."

Danni smiled in understanding and stopped scrubbing a table for a moment to get a better look at the man. She smirked in amusement when she recognized the blonde-haired, blue-eyed captain from the night before.

"Oh it's you," she said good-naturedly, "If you're here to pick a fight, I'm the only one here and I can promise you pickin' a fight with me isn't very smart."

Blake sneered and shook his head. His busted lip had healed, leaving a small red mark on his lower lip. His eyes shone as he gazed at her.

"Is that so?" he challenged as he sat down on a nearby bar stool.

Danni began scrubbing another table but looked up momentarily to shoot him a look.

"Pretty darn."

Blake's crooked smile widened and his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Well what if I asked you out for a date?"

"I'd say you're spoiling for a fight," she retorted quickly, glancing away.

It had been over two years since she had been with a guy…and for good reason. She was not so sure she wanted to get involved with another one.

"So you play hard to get?" questioned Blake, not in the least disheartened by her reply.

Danni tossed the rag at him. Blake caught it a mere second before it hit him in the face. Danni flashed him a smile and turned to walk outside.

"You have no idea."

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	3. Chapter 3

Blake walked out of the Elbow Room a few minutes later with a smile on his face

Blake walked out of the Elbow Room a few minutes later with a smile on his face. He found Danni to be rather intriguing. He wanted to get to know her better.

As he walked down the dock towards his boat, he thought about how pretty she was. Her long, black hair and turquoise eyes were stunning. He had seen her before, working behind the counter at the bar, but had never gotten the courage to actually talk to her. Although she had initially rejected his offer of a date, he was not discouraged. He had another week before his crew would be heading out of Dutch in search of King crab.

He smiled to himself as he walked down the dock. He was so lost in his thoughts that he did not pay attention to where he was going.

"Whoa! Blake, dude, you nearly ran right into me!" exclaimed Jake Anderson as he gave Blake an amused look.

"What? Oh, sorry Jake," said Blake absentmindedly.

"What's on your mind?" asked Jake, "Must be something big."

Blake smirked and glanced away for a moment.

"Yeah, pretty big."

Jake smiled in understanding and nodded his head.

"It's a girl isn't it? What's her name?"

Blake shot Jake an uncertain look. Then, with a sigh, he decided to tell him.

"Danni."

"Danni?" asked Jake in surprise, "Not the Elbow Room Danni?"

Jake watched as Blake's eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Dude!" he shouted as he slapped him on the back, "No way! Man she's hot! Did you ask her out?"

"Yeah, but she said no. She said she's hard to get."

Jake rolled his eyes.

"All the good ones always are. Don't worry about it, Blake. You'll get her; I gotta good feeling about this one!"

Jake flashed Blake a smile before he turned to head back to the Northwestern.

Meanwhile, back in the Elbow Room, Danni was serving the crews of the Cornelia Marie and the Time Bandit.

The Harris brothers, Jake and Josh, sat together discussing the fight that had happened that morning.

"Did you deck him?" asked Jake excitedly.

"Well I did give him a bloody lip," said Josh, trying to sound humble but the glimmer in his eyes showed how pleased he was with himself.

Jake broke out into a wide grin and patted his older brother on the back.

"That's my big brother!" he exclaimed happily.

Danni rolled her eyes and sighed as she placed the boys' plates down on their table.

"Men," she murmured.

Josh shot her an apologetic look.

"Sorry about this morning. I didn't mean to cause trouble…he asked for it."

Danni could not help but smile at him. Boys will be boys.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," she said sarcastically as she turned to walk over to the captains' table.

Jonathan and Andy Hillstrand sat across from Phil Harris, sharing stories and a few laughs. Phil was bragging about his son "beating Blake to death." Danni shook her head in disbelief. That same morning Phil had dogged his son out for causing such a scene.

"You guys doin' okay?" she asked as Jonathan took a huge bite out of his hamburger.

Jonathon nodded and mumbled a "thank you" while he chewed.

"Yeah, Danni this is great," said Andy, "Thanks."

Danni nodded and turned to head back behind the bar. She watched as some of the deckhands snuck up behind Jake and dumped a pitcher of water on his head. Josh nearly fell out of his seat he was laughing so hard. The crews and their captains laughed heartily at the scene while Jake leapt up as he felt cubes of ice sliding down his back.

After the scene calmed down a bit, Danni wandered over to the big front window and gazed out at Dutch Harbor. She found herself wondering where that young captain was and what he was doing right then…

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	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks so much for the reviews everyone!! I got a few good ideas for this one. I hope you enjoy!!**

The next afternoon, Danni scrambled to get the Elbow Room cleaned up for that night. She had called in her friend and employee, Emily, to help her out. Tonight they were hosting a party for the fishermen before they headed out to sea in two days.

Danni sighed at the thought. As much as she loved the fishermen and loved giving parties, the cleanup afterwards was always a drag. She figured that she would not get even five minutes of sleep tonight, but it was worth it. These men risked their lives out there so they deserved a night to kick back and have some fun.

"Hey Danni!" called Emily as she skipped into the Elbow Room.

Emily was twenty-one and had long, dark hair. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement as she gave Danni a hug. The two women had become good friends and truly enjoyed each other's company. Danni was only three years older than her, so they had a lot in common.

"Hey Emily!" said Danni with a wide grin, "It's good to see you. Thanks for coming in. Normally I can handle the place on my own, but it's been so busy lately and with the party tonight…"

Emily held up a hand to stop Danni from talking.

"Danni, seriously, it's fine. My brother took over the store for me today so I'm free from now till ten tomorrow."

Emily and her brother owned a local store in Dutch Harbor that sold basic goods for the fishermen. Although it was not the main grocery store, it specialized in cigarettes and a large variety of energy type drinks.

Danni smiled gratefully and gave her friend another hug.

"What would I do without you?"

"Oh, you'd be lost without me," assured Emily as she made her way behind the counter to grab an apron, "So, what do we need to do?"

Danni sighed and glanced around the room.

"Well, it's clean now, but we need to move the furniture around so we can have a sort of dance floor. Some of the guys are going to bring girls I'm sure."

"And if not, they can dance with us," replied Emily with a mischievous grin, "Especially Josh Harris. I plan to dance with him tonight!"

Danni rolled her eyes at her younger friend. Emily had a thing for Josh and never stopped talking about him. Although, Danni had to admit, they would make a great couple. While Josh was more out-going and a party animal, Emily was more down-to-earth and gentle. They made a good match.

"So do you have your eyes on anyone in particular?" asked Emily.

Danni glanced away for a moment.

"Sort of," she murmured.

"No way!" exclaimed Emily, "Well it's about time you start dating again. Who's the lucky guy?"

"We're not dating," retorted Danni, "I'm just interested right now."

"Yeah, well it's a step in the right direction. So who is it?"

Danni hesitated for a brief moment.

"Blake Painter," she whispered, as if someone else were in the room.

Emily's eyes widened with astonishment and she bounced up and down excitedly. She gave Danni a hug and squealed with joy.

"Oh, Danni! He's so hot! You two are totally getting together tonight!"

"Okay, let's not move that fast okay?" said Danni with a laugh, "I barely know him yet."

"Well, like I said, at least you're taking a step in the right direction. After that guy you told me you were with two years ago, you definitely deserve someone special."

Danni frowned slightly. Alex. That name sent shivers of dread through her body. She had dated Alex for over three years. He asked her to marry him and she had said yes, a decision she would later regret. A few weeks later she discovered that he had another girl on the side. A few days after she broke it off, she learned from a friend that Alex had asked that same girl to marry him. The entire thing had torn her apart. She was so heartbroken she was convinced that she could never love again. Even now, she wondered if dating again was really a good idea. She did not want to get hurt again.

But just thinking about Blake made her blush and smile to herself.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She had a ton of other stuff to worry about right now. With a sigh, she began to drag the furniture around the room, all the while thinking about a certain young, blonde captain.

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	5. Chapter 5

"Emily did you check the beer?" called Danni from the other side of the Elbow Room.

The two young women had been rushing about hurriedly getting ready for the big party that night. Emily ran out of the backroom, running a hand through her hair.

"Yeah we should have enough!" she called out.

Danni nodded briefly as she continued moving the furniture out of the way. They had set up all the lights earlier that day and were nearly ready to open the doors to the fishermen. The lighting was low and gave a more intimate atmosphere. There was a clear section in the middle of the room for the dance floor and the tables around it had pitchers of beer on them. With a sigh, Danni turned to look over at Emily.

"Okay, I think we're ready," she said with a final glance around the room, "Now, let's go get ourselves ready. We only have an hour!"

Emily's eyes flew open in panic as she rushed up the stairs to the second floor where Danni lived. Danni followed her, her heart pounding with fear and excitement.

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That evening, Blake was looking in the mirror in his stateroom aboard the Maverick for the thousandth time. He pulled at a stray strand of hair in frustration. Just then, one of his deckhands, Peko, came up behind him and started laughing.

"Got a bit of a cow-lick do we captain?" he asked with a smirk.

Blake shot him a glare and tried to press down the stray hairs with his hand.

"Oh," said Peko with sudden understanding, "It's a girl isn't it? That's why you've been so pre-occupied today."

Blake muttered something under his breath as he glared at Peko in the mirror.

Peko laughed heartily and shook his head.

"Guess that's what happens when you got a young captain! Girls all over him, eh Blake?"

Blake turned around and pretended like he was trying to hit the older deckhand. Peko dodged the light blow and laughed loudly as he retreated out onto the deck. Blake could not help but smile. Peko was dead on. He was stressing and staring into the mirror for a girl alright…one girl in particular too.

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Later that evening, Emily ran down the stairs in a short skirt and tight black tank-top shirt. She too was 

hoping that a particular deckhand would be there that night. She had curled her hair and put on a good amount of dark eye makeup. She never really wore makeup to work and she hoped it would catch the deckhand's attention.

Danni was still upstairs getting dressed for the party. She told Emily to go ahead and open the doors so the fishermen could start coming in. Emily ran over to the door when she saw that the Time Bandit, Rollo, and Cornelia Marie boys were standing outside waiting. She smiled brightly when she saw that Josh Harris was among the large group of rowdy deckhands and captains.

"Come on in boys!" she announced with a wink in Josh's direction.

The fishermen did not need to be told twice. With whoops and hollers of excitement, they poured into the Elbow Room and made their way to the pitchers of beer.

Josh's eyes widened when he saw Emily. Her short skirt showed off her long, white legs rather nicely and the tank top did wonders for her figure. Her eyes glowed brightly and Josh felt himself stop breathing for a moment. She was truly breath-taking.

Emily did not miss his stare and she felt her heart flutter as he glanced over at her from the table where the rest of the Cornelia Marie crew had laid claim to. Jake Harris did not miss the exchange either. He smiled knowingly and nudged his brother playfully. Josh shot him a warning glare, but his smile betrayed his true feelings. Jake smirked and shook his head as he grabbed the beer pitcher.

Just then, the door swung open and Blake Painter strolled in coolly with his deckhands close behind him. The crew of the Cornelia Marie snickered and muttered under their breaths. They never really liked Blake Painter. Although they were partner boats, they had had a few disagreements about how things were to be run. The fight between Josh and Blake did not help that either.

Blake wore a white t-shirt with black jeans and a black leather jacket. He glanced around the room with a cool, confident air and nodded at some of the other deckhands and captains. Jonathon Hillstrand held up his mug of beer and called out to Blake. Just as Blake turned to walk over to the Time Bandit's table, Danni walked down the stairs from her small quarters above the Elbow Room.

Blake's breath caught in his chest and his mouth flew open in surprise. Danni was wearing a short black dress and her long, dark hair had been straightened to perfection. Her blue eyes stood out perfectly from the dark makeup she wore and she smiled broadly when she made eye-contact with Blake. He smiled back at her, his heart pounding wildly.

Not a single deckhand or captain in the room missed the scene. They smiled to one another and nodded in approval as Blake reached out a hand to help her down the last few stairs. Danni smiled and her eyes sparkled as she accepted his outstretched hand.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, somewhat dumbfounded.

Danni blushed and felt herself grow warm under his approving gaze.

"Thank you. You dress up well yourself."

Blake seemed to come out of his trance and grinned at her.

"I know you're working and all, but I'd love to dance with you."

Danni smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. I'd love to. Let me put some music on first."

Danni walked behind the bar and reached underneath the counter. She pushed a few buttons and soon loud, club music began to play.

Just then, the door swung open again and the crew of the Northwestern entered the Elbow Room. Jake Anderson's eyes flew open in surprise when he heard the loud music. He laughed and pumped his fist into the air excitedly. He had brought a young, blonde girl with him. She looked a little overwhelmed but relaxed slightly as Jake lead them over to the Harris boys.

Josh and Jake Harris called out excitedly and gave Jake Anderson high fives and hugs.

Sig and Edgar had brought their wives with them and found themselves a table. Nick Mavar and Matt Bradley followed them shortly afterwards with their wives.

Behind them, a group of young and middle-aged women strolled into the Elbow Room. Jake Harris instantly leapt up from his chair and ran over to hug a young brunette girl. The women spread out and began to talk to their boyfriends or husbands.

After glancing around the room to make sure everything was in order, Danni turned back to face Blake. He held out his hand and Danni gladly accepted it. She felt a sudden thrill of fear and she had a flashback to Alex. But deep down Danni knew that she had to move on and this would be the best way to start. From what she could tell, Blake was a good guy and she had no reason not to trust him. He was not Alex and she had to remember that.

Blake smiled broadly and pulled her out onto the dance floor. A chorus of loud whistles, whoops, and hollers echoed around the room. Danni laughed as she began to dance. Blake pulled her close to him and murmured into her ear.

"I thought you were hard to get."

Danni smiled and looked up at him.

"So did I."

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	6. Chapter 6

While Danni and Blake danced to the fast-paced club music, Emily made her way over to the Cornelia Marie's table. She sat down another full pitcher of beer and glanced over at Josh. He smiled at her and winked. Jake smirked and tried to keep from laughing as he watched the scene from the dance floor. He and his girlfriend were moving perfectly to the beat, but Jake kept glancing over her shoulder to watch his older brother try to pick up the Elbow Room waitress.

"If you're not to busy," said Josh with an almost dangerous twinkle in his eye, "We could join them on the dance floor."

Emily's face brightened instantly at the offer. She nodded enthusiastically and Josh broke out into a rather handsome grin. He stood, held out his hand, and led Emily out to the dance floor.

Danni gave her friend a quick thumbs-up as they began to dance next to her and Blake.

Josh shot Blake a look of disdain. Suddenly, Danni remembered the fight that had happened between the two men. She was struck by the irony of the situation. She and her best friend liked two guys who absolutely hated each other. For a brief second, Danni wondered why, but her thoughts were interrupted when she saw the furious glint in Blake's eye. He glared back at Josh and sneered in contempt.

"Blake," hissed Danni, giving him a warning look.

Blake turned his gaze to Danni and she saw his eyes begin to soften. He smiled slightly in embarrassment.

"Sorry," he whispered as they continued to dance.

Josh smiled, as if in victory, and turned back to Emily. Her eyes were full of concern as she looked up at him. His harsh glare quickly changed into a more kind, and loving look.

"Don't worry," he murmured, "As long as he stays away from me, there won't be any problems."

Emily smiled slightly, but deep down she was worried about the situation. If things worked out, how could she and her friend date these guys if whenever they were together they tried to fight? She forced the thoughts out of her mind for the time being. Tonight was about having fun, not fighting or worrying about fighting.

Edgar led his wife out onto the dance floor. Sig and the other Northwestern guys followed their lead and soon the entire dance floor was covered with dancing couples.

"You wanna get outta here?" asked Blake over the music.

Danni glanced around the crowded room. Technically she should stay here and make sure that nothing got out of hand, but then again she wanted to leave too. It really was starting to get crowded and warm in the small bar. Finally, after a moment's hesitation, she nodded.

Blake smiled and led her through the throng of people. As they walked toward the front door, they suddenly found themselves face to face with Josh and Emily. The two girls' eyes widened in panic as the guys glared at each other. Danni squeezed Blake's hand.

Blake gritted his teeth and walked around the couple quickly. He did not want to start another fight with the hot-headed greenhorn in front of Danni.

Josh snickered as the two walked past them. He shook his head as he turned back to Emily.

Once they were outside, Danni and Blake made their way to the bench that sat near the docks. Danni had bought the bench when she first purchased the Elbow Room. It overlooked Dutch Harbor and had the best view of the Alaskan sunset. She often came out here when she needed time to be alone and to think. After 

Alex left her, she came out here nearly every time she had a break. It made her feel calm and it cleared her mind.

They settled down on the bench just as a cold gust of night air rushed past them. Danni shivered and Blake immediately took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. She smiled gratefully as they gazed out at Dutch Harbor.

"Now this is much better," said Blake with a sigh.

"Yeah I was afraid if we stayed in there much longer you and Josh would try to kill each other again," said Danni as she rolled her eyes in exasperation, "Why do you two hate each other so much, by the way?"

Blake smiled and laughed slightly.

"Well, I guess we both have similar personalities," he began as he put his arm around Danni's shoulders, "We both have tempers and we're about the same age. I don't know…we just don't get along. We used to tolerate each other when we were in the same room, but then we got into a disagreement and now we can't stand each other."

"So now you always try to one-up each other?" asked Danni with a smirk, "Men…you guys are too competitive."

Blake smiled and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah pretty much. Okay, now you have to explain something to me," he said as he leaned closer to her, "Why is it that you claim to be so hard to get?"

Danni felt her breath catch in her throat. This was the one topic she desperately tried to avoid at all costs. Talking about what had happened between her and Alex was not the most enjoyable conversation.

Blake saw the look on her face and instantly grew concerned.

"Someone hurt you?" he asked, anger flashing in his eyes, "Someone I know? Cause if it is…"

Danni laughed and shook her head.

"No, no but thanks," she said as her smile turned into a slight frown, "No, I was with a guy that left me for another girl."

Blake sighed and nodded. He played with the hair that lay on her shoulder while she talked.

"His name was Alex…and we were engaged at one point. I found out later that he had another girl on the side. So, naturally, I left him. I found out from one of my friends a few weeks later that he had asked that same girl to marry him."

Blake sneered in disgust and anger. He shook his head and curled up his lip.

"I swear, Danni if he was here right now, I'd take care of him for you…I'd make him sorry."

Danni smirked at the anger that sparkled in Blake's eyes. "He sure is a wild one," she thought to herself.

After a few moments, Blake turned to look at Danni. He had a serious and sincere look in his eyes as he gazed intently at her.

"You know…if you ever wanted to give me a shot, I swear that I'd never do that to you. I would never hurt you like that. I promise."

Danni gazed into his eyes and realized that he was telling the truth. There was no mistaking the seriousness in his eyes and in his voice. She suddenly felt a warmth spread through her that she had not felt in a very long time. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"I believe you," she murmured quietly, "And…I'd like to give you a shot."

Blake's eyes widened in surprise. He gave her a crooked smile and Danni laughed.

Suddenly, he leaned over and ran a hand through her hair. He gazed deeply into her eyes for a brief moment.

Then, he kissed her…

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**Just a reminder to you guys: I will not have internet access from June 21-29. I will try to write some stuff during that time in my notebook and then type it up when I get the internet back. Thanks for reading and reviewing!!**


	7. Chapter 7

Early the next morning Danni was down in the Elbow Room cleaning up after the party the night before. She smiled to herself as she remembered what happened between her and Blake. They had danced together and later that night, Blake led her outside to the bench that overlooked the harbor and kissed her. She had opened up to him and told him her secret. She even told him that she was willing to give him a shot at a relationship.

About an hour later, Danni finished cleaning up the Elbow Room. She sighed and ran a hand through her tousled dark hair. Just then, she heard the tiny bell above the front door chime. She turned around and smiled broadly when she saw who it was.

Blake walked over to her with a crooked grin on his face. He had a dozen roses in his hand and Danni's smile only widened at the sight. As he handed them to her he leaned over and kissed her.

"So," he murmured quietly, "You said you'd give me a shot. How am I doing so far?"

Danni laughed slightly.

"Very well."

Blake gave her another crooked grin and leaned in to kiss her again when the door opened.

It was Emily. She strode in with an obnoxiously happy look on her face and a twinkle in her eyes.

"Hey you two," she said with a knowing wink, "I saw you sneak off last night."

Blake smirked, "It's not what you think."

Emily nodded, "I know. Jake Harris saw you guys sitting out on that bench."

Danni saw Blake tense up slightly.

"Anyways, don't you want to know what happened with me and a certain somebody last night?"

Danni's eyes widened when she saw the look on Emily's face.

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Blake looked utterly lost. He furrowed his brow in confusion and glanced back and forth between the two women.

"Let's just say I didn't go home alone," said Emily with a wink.

Danni's mouth flew open in shock.

Blake raised an eyebrow and smiled slightly at Emily.

"Who's the lucky guy?"

Danni felt her heart stop beating for a moment in panic. She gave Emily a pleading look but she did not see it.

"Josh Harris."

Danni squeezed her eyes shut, imagining what Blake's reaction would be.

Blake's entire body tensed up and anger glimmered in his eyes. Emily suddenly remembered the feud 

between the two men and gave him an apologetic look.

"Oh, Blake I'm sorry!" she said, shooting Danni a concerned look, "I forgot!"

Blake forced himself to relax. He shook his head and sighed.

"No, it's okay."

"It's just hard, you know?" continued Emily, "I mean, Danni and I are best friends and the guys we like hate each other. I wasn't thinking."

"Its fine, Emily," said Blake with a slight smirk, "I'm happy for you. Let's just not go on any double dates, okay?"

Danni and Emily both laughed at that.

"Don't worry," assured Danni, "I don't mind taking risks but I'm not suicidal. That would be a blood bath, not a date!"

Emily laughed and nodded in agreement.

Blake smiled but instantly grew serious when he remembered the reason he was here. Danni saw the look on his face and grew serious as well. She gave him a concerned look.

"Blake? What's wrong?"

Blake swallowed and cleared his throat.

"We're, um, heading out today. Trying to beat that storm that's coming in. They say it's gonna be pretty bad. So…I guess I really just came here to say goodbye."

Danni bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her emotion. They had just started this relationship and now he was heading out to sea, possibly right into a storm too.

"It's not goodbye," insisted Danni, "It's see you later."

Blake smiled and brushed a stray strand of dark hair behind her ear. He gave her a long hug and a kiss before he turned toward the door.

"See you later then," he said quietly.

Just then, the door opened and Josh Harris strode into the room. Blake froze mid-stride when he saw him. The two men shared a glare of hatred as they passed. Danni and Emily exchanged nervous glances.

Blake shot Josh a final glare as he opened the door and left. Danni felt her heart tighten with fear for him as she watched him walk down to the dock.

Josh saw the look on her face and gave her an understanding look.

"So you two hit it off, huh?"

Danni smiled slightly, eyes shining with emotion.

"Yeah…we did."

Josh walked over to Danni and gave her a hug of comfort.

"He'll be fine," he said quietly, "He's so hard-headed and stubborn…nothing will keep him from coming back."

Danni gave Josh a grateful look as he walked over to Emily. The young couple shared a knowing, loving look as they embraced. Danni saw Josh murmur something to Emily and saw her friend's face fall. The couple embraced again and Josh turned back to the door. He nodded to Danni as he left.

"Are they heading out too?" asked Danni quietly.

Emily nodded, looking very crestfallen. She slunk away to the upstairs room for some privacy. Danni watched her friend walk up the stairs. Her face mirrored Emily's emotions. They had both fallen quickly for those two men and now they were both leaving to brave the Bering Sea. And on top of that, they were trying to beat a particularly deadly storm on their way out of Dutch Harbor.

Danni sighed and looked out the window. The Maverick was already pulling away from the dock. The Cornelia Marie's engines were starting up. They would be following the Maverick shortly. The Northwestern and the Time Bandit were already leading the pack out of the harbor. Danni took a shaky breath and sighed quietly.

"Dear God please bring them back…"

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	8. Chapter 8

As Blake sailed his vessel out of Dutch Harbor, his thoughts were still on Danni. They had just gotten to know each other when he learned that a storm was brewing near the crab grounds. He decided to leave early in an attempt to curve around the vicious system.

He sighed as the Maverick began to plow through the already heavy seas.

"Hey captain?" shouted Hiram as he sauntered into the wheelhouse, "Looks like bad weather, eh? Nothin' like a little sea spray to wake you up…oh, wait a second, you're high and dry up here ain't ya?"

Blake rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth. Hiram was a great, very experienced deckhand but on a personal level, he and Blake never got along. Hiram was one of the most opposed to Blake taking over the helm. His frequent mood swings were as unpredictable as they were alarming. The man could be laughing one minute and screaming with fury the next. Blake preferred to keep some distance between himself and the older deckhand.

"Yeah, Hiram…it's rough going," said Blake, grudgingly, "We're skirting a pretty big storm right now."

Hiram grunted in disapproval.

"Skirtin'? What's the matter, Painter? You afraid?"

Blake muttered something under his breath. He shot Hiram a glare.

"No I'm not afraid but I'm also not suicidal."

"Well I'm just sayin'…"

"Hiram don't you have some work to do or something?" snapped Blake, "I'm a little busy up here and I don't need to here your criticism."

Hiram looked taken back for a moment. He quickly recovered and shot Blake a disdainful look. He turned and left the wheelhouse, muttering darkly under his breath.

Blake sighed with relief as the door closed and silence filled the wheelhouse. But the silence did not last long. The radio crackled and a familiar voice came over the line.

"Hey captain, how you doin'?"

Blake smirked when he realized who it was.

"Doing good right now, Sig. Got some waves on our starboard side, but so far so good."

"Yeah it's blowin' pretty hard here too. We're about a mile behind you right now. I think about half the fleet is following the same path you are. Maybe if we can all work around this storm we'll eventually make it to the grounds. Keep your head about you alright kid? It's gonna get nasty before it gets better so stay calm. You got an ocean full of other skippers out there if you need help."

Blake smiled slightly at Sig's concern. It was good to know that there were others out there who were looking out for him on his first trip out as captain of the Maverick.

"Thanks Sig. Yeah I'll stay sharp and give you a call if something goes wrong…knock on wood."

"Man you'd better be _banging_ on that wood!" exclaimed Sig suddenly, "I'm looking at the radar and it looks nasty! Weather report just came in…that thing's a freakin' hurricane!"

Blake swallowed nervously. He felt his heart race with panic at the thought of heading into a hurricane.

"Are you serious?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Dead serious…this is bad man, really bad! It's moving down fast. Looks like it'll be on top of us all in about an hour. So much for going around the damn thing!"

Sig cursed in anger and fear. The hurricane was gaining momentum and strength as it bore down on the fleet. He got on the loud hailer and began to warn his unsuspecting crew.

Blake felt a deep sense of dread rise up in his chest. It was his first time as a Bering Sea captain and he was about to get hit by one of the largest storms the fleet had ever seen…

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	9. Chapter 9

Back in Dutch Harbor, Danni was sitting out on her bench in front of the Elbow Room. She gazed out across the now-empty harbor with a heavy heart.

A gust of cold air blew past and she pulled her parka closer to her to escape the invading chill. She frowned slightly as she watched the waves crash on the shore. The harbor was usually rather calm considering it was tucked away nicely and well-protected by the surrounding mountains and shoreline. Today, however, the waves were growing stronger and larger as the day wore on.

Danni remembered hearing on the news last night that a large storm system was moving in. Early this morning, after Blake left, the newscaster announced that the storm was actually a massive hurricane. To make matters worse, another storm system was brewing further south and was expected to reach Dutch Harbor within the next two or three days.

Emily walked into the Elbow Room and called out for Danni. She waited for a moment but got no response. She smiled slightly as she realized where her boss would be. She walked over to door that faced the harbor and opened it. Sure enough, there was Danni sitting with her arms folded in her favorite bench.

"Hey," said Emily tentatively, "You okay?"

Danni jumped at the unexpected sound of her friend's voice. She turned around and glanced briefly at her before turning back to face the harbor.

"Yeah, just thinking," she replied slowly.

Emily nodded in understanding as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her. Another fresh gust of cold air rushed past and she shivered, hugging her jacket closer to her.

"So, did you hear about the storms?" she asked with worry in her voice.

Danni looked up at her friend with a mixture of fear and uncertainty in her eyes.

"Yeah, I did…that one that's on the crab grounds is a hurricane, and a big one too. They said that other storm is going to be here in Dutch within the next couple days. Said it could be hurricane force winds."

"What are you going to do?" asked Emily, "I mean, with the Elbow Room and all? You can't stay here. Maybe we should head back to the Alaska mainland and wait it out."

Danni shot Emily an angry and shocked look. She stood up from the bench and turned to face her.

"I won't leave this place!" she exclaimed with conviction, "My entire life has been one failure after another. This place is the one thing that kept me together. After all the things I did in the past and all the mistakes I made, this is the once choice that made a difference. I have a life now Emily! A real one. And I don't want to lose that. Besides that I've actually found a good guy to be with. And now he's out there facing some monstrous storm! There's no way I'm leaving this place."

Emily frowned in concern and shook her head in protest.

"But that's suicidal, Danni! Think about it. If this storm is anything like the one on the fishing grounds, this place is going to get wiped out with you in it!"

Danni's eyes flashed defiance as she turned to walk away. She looked over her shoulder and shot Emily a final glare.

"I'm not leaving!"

Emily watched as Danni walked back into the Elbow Room. She sank down on the bench and ran a hand 

through her hair. Danni was not the only one who could lose something to the storms. For Emily, this was the only job she managed to hold down. She never got a chance to go to college and she barely finished high school. She never found the "right man" until she met Josh Harris. Now he may very well be in danger right that very moment.

Emily shuddered to think what could happen to him out there. The thought of losing Josh made her throat close up and her chest tighten with fear.

She sighed in resignation and stood up. Giving the harbor one last, passing glance, she turned and walked back into the Elbow Room with a heavy heart and a growing sense of dread…

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	10. Chapter 10

Out in the middle of the vast Bering Sea, the fleet was facing problems of their own. The wind was gusting with hurricane force winds as the massive storm system bore down on the crab grounds.

Blake gazed out into the pitch-black night, looking for the next big wave that was destined to hit his boat. He wondered briefly if he was really prepared for this. He never thought that on his first trip out that he would be facing a hurricane.

Suddenly the radio sputtered and an automated voice began to speak. Blake reached up quickly to turn up the volume.

"…forty foot seas by midnight."

Blake cursed with disbelief. He had assumed that they had managed to get far enough away from the storm, but apparently that was not the case. He switched one of his screens over to the weather map and felt his heart skip a beat. The storm was barreling down on them. The edge of the hurricane was just now reaching the crab grounds and it was moving quickly.

"Dear God…" he muttered as the weather report continued.

"…another storm system is heading northwest toward the Aleutian Islands. Expected trajectory through Dutch Harbor and Cold Bay. This has been an official weather report…"

Blake shut off the radio abruptly. He felt his pulse-rate begin to rise with panic and fear now not only for himself, but for Danni back at the Elbow Room. An entirely different storm system was heading right for them and he was stuck in the Bering Sea, helpless to do anything to help her.

For a moment Blake felt a sudden sense of loneliness and vulnerability. But suddenly, a massive forty-foot wave slammed into the side of the Maverick. The boat lurched violently to the side, but regained its balance within mere seconds.

Blake was nearly thrown from the captain's chair. His eyes were wide with shock and terror. This storm was getting bad and it was getting bad fast…

Back at the Elbow Room…

Danni and Emily began to board up the windows of the Elbow Room. Emily had tried to convince Danni to leave, but it was in vain. She was too stubborn, too hardheaded to listen to reason. Her mind was on Blake and the hurricane that was settling over the fishing grounds.

"Where's the hammer?" called Emily from the other side of the room.

Danni brushed a strand of hair out of her face. She was cleaning the bar area and putting all the glass down in the cabinets below the counter for safe-keeping.

"I left it outside," she replied, pointing toward the door that faced the harbor, "I was nailing up a few boards earlier."

Emily nodded and walked outside to retrieve the hammer. She closed the door behind her and gazed out at the harbor for a moment. She was surprised to see how much the wind had already begun to pick up and how high the waves were getting. She gritted her teeth in fear and determination. Suddenly she understood why Danni did not want to leave this place. She felt a sense of anger at the storm. The thought of it destroying the Elbow Room terrified her and filled her with fury. This was her home…the one place that made her feel happy and safe and this storm was threatening to rip that all away from her.

A particularly strong gust of wind nearly knocked her off of her feet. Emily scowled into the wind and turned to find the hammer. She saw it lying beside a recently boarded up window and reached down to pick 

it up. With a final, defiant glare at the rising waves, Emily turned and walked back into the Elbow Room.

Danni watched as Emily walked over to the windows to board them up from the inside. They figured that if they could board them up on the inside it might prevent broken glass from flying inside the room. But deep down Danni knew that if little shards of glass were their only problem it would be a miracle. She sighed and sat down some shot glasses on the counter.

"Hey, Emily?"

"Yeah?" asked Emily as she stopped hammering for a moment.

"Why don't you go ahead and go home? This storm's coming pretty fast and you'll want to get back to your apartment before it gets much worse."

Emily shot her friend a thankful and understanding look.

"I appreciate that Danni, but I've decided to stay."

Danni's raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I'd be by myself it that little old apartment anyway," continued Emily, "It's in a safer area too. It'll be fine. And I wouldn't want you to stay here by yourself either. I'd feel terrible if something happened and I wasn't here with you. I love this place too and I love Josh…and I want to be here if something happens to either."

Danni nodded and smiled in understanding. She sighed and picked the shot glasses back up.

"Want a drink?"

Emily's shoulders slumped with relief.

"I thought you'd never ask!"

The two friends laughed, despite the circumstances. Danni raised her glass and proposed a toast.

"To all the fishermen out in the sea…and to the Elbow Room. May we all come out of this safely and closer than ever before."

Emily raised her glass and clinked it against Danni's.

"Amen, sister….amen!"

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	11. Chapter 11

The Maverick lurched violently to the starboard side. Blake winced as if the wave had smacked his side, not the boat's.

The weather was getting worse. The storm was fully over the fleet and it was punishing it with no mercy. As another wave slammed into the boat, Blake suddenly felt more vulnerable than before. His crew was below deck, sheltering from the nasty weather. Glancing around his empty wheelhouse, Blake decided to radio some of the other boats from the fleet to see how they were doing. He decided to call Sig on board the Northwestern first, since Sig was the one who radioed him earlier to make sure he was okay.

"Captain Hansen, this is Blake on the Maverick…Northwestern, are you on this one?"

After a long moment, the radio sputtered and Sig's somewhat fearful voice filled the wheelhouse.

"Yeah…Blake, what's going on?"

The edge in Sig's voice made Blake swallow nervously. Sig was a fishing legend. Not much affected the salty Norwegian.

"It's getting bad here," he replied, clearing his throat, "The waves are at least forty feet high. I just missed a fifty-footer a few minutes ago. How are you guys doing?"

"We're about half a mile behind you. I can see you on the radar, but I guess the spray's too thick for us to see you out ahead of us. It's hookin' back here, man! I just got off the radio with the Hillstrands on the Time Bandit. They're a mile behind me and they said they're getting hit hard too. In all honesty, Blake…we'll all be lucky to get through this."

Blake felt a thrill of fear course through his veins. He was inexperienced and unprepared for this. When he dreamed of being at the helm he never thought for a second he'd be leading his crew into a hurricane.

"I need you to do something Blake," continued Sig, "Don't tell your crew how bad it is, okay? The last thing you need right now is a panicked crew. Keep them calm and keep them as busy as you can. Get them to sleep, clean the galley, whatever…just keep them occupied, alright? Keep their minds off of this as much as possible. Trust me, it'll make your job right now a lot easier. Watch riding in the trough too, alright?"

"Yeah…yeah I'll do that," said Blake with a sigh, "Thanks Sig. I appreciate it."

"Just keep your wits about you kid…and stay in touch. We're right behind you if something goes wrong."

Another massive wave slammed into the side of the boat, nearly jolting Blake out of his seat. He shook his head in disbelief. This was getting bad…

Back at the Elbow Room…

Danni and Emily finished nailing up the plywood and collapsed against the wall. Emily sighed and glanced at her friend.

"You think we'll be alright?" she asked in a hushed voice.

Danni gave her friend an understanding look. She was worried too, not only about the Elbow Room but also about their own safety.

"We've done all we can," she assured, "We've nailed plywood over all the windows, put away all the glass, locked everything up…I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens."

Emily nodded with resignation in her eyes. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with panic. Danni's eyes widened with fear and confusion as she looked at her friend.

"What? Emily, what is it?"

"Danni!" exclaimed Emily as she stood and ran to the door, "You forgot it!"

"Forgot what?"

Emily ran outside, leaving the door wide open. Danni watched with confusion and curiosity as she saw Emily slowly walk back into the room, dragging something behind her. Her eyes lit up with surprise and happiness when she saw what Emily was bringing inside…it was the bench.

She ran over to help her friend drag the old wooden bench inside.

"I know this thing means the world to you," said Emily as she and Danni sat it against the wall.

She remembered when Danni explained to her why she loved to sit out on the bench and look out over the harbor. She did it to escape…to escape from her own mind. When she felt overwhelmed with her problems with Alex and when she argued on the phone with her parents, she retreated to her little safe haven. Gazing out over the calm waters of Dutch Harbor and the beautiful surrounding mountains calmed her spirit and reminded her that there are more important things in life than stupid arguments with people. She learned to have self-esteem and self-confidence sitting on that bench. She learned to let go, to forget, remember, and, the day Blake kissed her, she learned to love again.

Danni smiled and hugged her friend.

"Thank you, Emily," she murmured, "Thank you…"

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	12. Chapter 12

Blake jumped slightly as another wave barreled over the wheelhouse. He had ordered his crew to clean and organize the galley to keep them occupied and to keep their minds off of the seriousness of the situation. They, of course, were not stupid. They were well aware of what their young captain was trying to do, but they were also grateful for the distraction as well.

The radio crackled over Blake's head and a panicked voice filled the wheelhouse.

"This is Jonathon Hillstrand on the Time Bandit…oh man, we almost went over! Northwestern, Maverick, Cornelia Marie, anyone on this thing?"

Blake caught the desperation in the older captain's voice. He suddenly felt compassion and sympathy for him. He too understood the need to reach out to the other boats, if for nothing else, just to be reminded that you were not alone out here.

"Hey Time Bandit! This is the Wizard," said Keith Colburn over the radio, "We're out here too, about a quarter mile to the east of you. Cornelia Marie, Northwestern, and Maverick are all within a mile to a mile and a half of us too. I think we were all thinking the same thing…taking a path around the storm. Unfortunately the storm changed course and its right over us as we speak. You said you almost went over?"

Blake listened silently to the conversation, comforted by hearing that the other boats were very close by.

"Yeah," said Jonathon, "Rogue wave hit us hard on starboard…we were lying on a ninety degree angle for about two minutes. Man if another wave had come up on us after that…"

"This is Phil on the Cornelia," said a new voice suddenly, "Take it easy Jonathon, we're all in the same spot. I think I see your stern ahead, but the spray's blocking most of my view right now."

"Sig, Northwestern," said another voice, hurriedly, "We got hit hard too…we're all getting a beating out here. Hang in there guys!"

"Yeah, thanks," said Keith quietly, "Hey, anyone hear from the Maverick? How's the kid doing?"

"This is Blake on the Maverick," said Blake as he grabbed the radio, "We're okay for now."

"There he is!" exclaimed Sig with relief in his voice, "That kid's tough, he'll be fine. Hey, Blake…"

A rogue wave slammed into the Maverick, throwing Blake from his chair. He slammed into the far wall of the wheelhouse and cried out in pain. The Maverick was lying on her side in the churning water as wave after wave pounded its exposed hull.

"An EPIRB just went off!" exclaimed Sig over the radio, "Coast Guard's calling in! They say an EPIRB went off. It's within a mile radius of us according to the radar. Who's missing! Call in guys!"

"Keith on the Wizard, we're fine here."

"Phil on Cornelia…we're good."

"Jonathon, Time Bandit. We're fine."

The captains waited for Blake to call in. After a full-minute they realized what must have happened.

"Oh my God," said Sig in disbelief, "It's the kid!"

DCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDC

Back in the Elbow Room…

The waves pounded the shoreline, growing closer and closer to the Elbow Room. The wind slammed into the walls of the tavern, causing it to creak and groan as if in pain.

Danni and Emily were crouched behind the counter, trying to shelter from the horrifying storm. Within minutes the storm hit them full force, shaking the Elbow Room threateningly.

They tensed as they heard something slam into the far side of the room. Danni imagined the surrounding trees falling all around them. In this wind it could have been anything: a tree, pieces of any other building or car, anything was possible.

Emily shot her friend a terrified look as the roof began to make horrible tearing noises. Danni shared her friend's fear. She knew the storm was going to be bad but she did not think that it would be this bad.

Suddenly, section of the roof peeled away. The women screamed as water and debris began to fly into the Elbow Room…

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	13. Chapter 13

Blake felt a sharp pain course through his body when he tried to move. His tried to look around the wheelhouse, but his vision was blurred and everything looked somewhat distorted. He vaguely realized that he was lying on the wall on the other side of the wheelhouse.

Suddenly, his mind began to whirl and he remembered what had happened. The boat was on its side…a rogue wave…the crew yelling below in the galley…

"This is the United States Coast Guard," said a male voice over the radio, "Maverick call in."

Blake tried to climb over to the radio but fell back with a cry of pain. He gritted his teeth and forced his body to respond. Slowly, he climbed over to the radio.

"Maverick, this is the United States…"

"Yeah, I'm here!" he shouted painfully.

Suddenly a wave hit the other side of the boat. It groaned in protest and Blake stumbled as the boat righted itself.

"Your EPIRB went off," explained the man, "Is everything alright or do you require assistance?"

Blake smiled and sank into his chair with relief. He was breathing hard from the pain in his ribs but he was overjoyed that the boat had managed to somehow right itself. He sent a prayer of thanks to God for sending the wave that pushed their boat back up.

"No…no we're fine now I think," said Blake, "We went over for a second but it's okay now."

"Okay," said the Coast Guard, hesitantly, "Reset your EPIRB and call in if something happens."

"Roger," said Blake as he let out relieved laugh.

But Blake's relief was short-lived. While the crew shouted below in the galley, panicked and unsure of what was going on, another wave slammed into the boat. The Maverick rocked dangerously to its starboard side, but remained upright. However, Blake watched with dismay as the lights flickered and went out. They had just lost power…

DCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDC

"Danni!" shouted Emily over the roar of the wind and rain, "What do we do now?"

Danni's eyes were wide with fear as she stared up at the torn section of the ceiling. Rain and debris were pouring in on them and Danni was not sure how much longer the rest of the roof would hold. She glanced around and saw the tables across the room.

"Let's go over there!" she shouted back.

Emily gave her a confused look but nodded in agreement. The two women made a mad dash over to the tables. Danni dove under the one in the far corner and urged Emily to follow her. They huddled together as the wind and rain continued their barrage on the Elbow Room…

DCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDC

Two hours later…

The roar of the wind and rain had begun to die down. Danni poked her head out from under the table and looked over at the torn section of roof. A ray of sunshine came through and the rain ceased altogether. She 

breathed a sigh of relief and climbed out from under the table.

She looked around at the Elbow Room, assessing the damage. All in all they had been rather lucky. The only damage was the water and small debris that came in through the roof.

Emily looked out cautiously from under the table, half expecting the storm to change its mind and come roaring back through at any second.

Danni wove her way around the tables and walked out the door facing the harbor. She opened it slowly and looked outside.

She was shocked to see that the water had come almost all the way up to their door. Some of the older boats that had not gone out fishing were now stranded on the sides of the harbor, lying on their sides. Several trees were down and debris floated in the water.

Emily came over to stand beside of Danni and gasped in shock when she saw the damage and how close the water was to the Elbow Room.

Danni closed the door and turned to face Emily, worry creasing her features.

"Maybe we should go to the station," she said hesitantly, "We could call the boys on the radio and see if they're okay."

"You think they'll let us?" asked Emily, doubtfully, "I went down the other day to see if I could go talk to Josh and they told me to leave…they said family only."

Danni sneered, "I'd like to see them try to stop me!"

A few minutes later, Danni and Emily walked into the Dutch Harbor control station. Danni approached the man on watch with a confident, no-nonsense look on her face.

"Hi, I'm Danni," she said as she extended her hand, "I own the Elbow Room. We'd like to speak to some of our fishermen friends if that's alright with you."

The man frowned at Danni and seemed to be rather irritated.

"Sorry. Family and emergencies only."

Danni's eyes flashed with anger.

"And what the hell do you call this?" she snarled, "We just went through a massive storm, in case you didn't notice! And they just went through a freaking hurricane! I'd like to make sure they're all okay."

The man grimaced.

"We got a report earlier that an EPIRB went off. Coast Guard said they took care of it…false alarm or something."

Danni felt her heart race with fear for Blake.

"Fine, just let me talk to them, okay?"

The man shot her a look, but seemed to almost cringe at the look in her eyes. He swallowed nervously and stepped away from the desk to allow her to sit down.

"Thank you," said Danni curtly as the man left the room.

Emily raised an eyebrow and shot her friend a look.

"And here I thought you were such a nice person!"

Danni sneered as she dialed into the radio.

"Maverick, Blake you out there?" she asked, "Blake, it's Danni…Maverick come in."

Danni waited for several tense moments.

"Danni?" asked a very surprised voice.

Danni frowned in disappointment. The voice was not Blake's.

"Yeah, who's this?"

"Sig Hansen. What the heck are you doing in the control station?"

"I wanted to check on Blake to see if they're okay but he won't answer his radio."

Sig fell silent for a moment and a wave of alarm shot through Danni.

"Um, Danni…they've been off the charts for three hours now. Their EPIRB went off and Blake radioed in to say everything was okay, but shortly after that they disappeared off the radar. Coast Guard just sent a chopper out to find them. The Cornelia Marie and the Wizard are already on the scene. They're searching for them right now…we're on our way to help too."

Danni sank into the chair behind the desk, gaping with shock.

"Danni…I'm sorry," said Sig after a moment, "We're doing all we can out here…just go home and take are of yourself okay? There's nothing you can do right now…there's no sense in sitting there and worrying. I'll tell the Coast Guard to contact you if they find anything okay?"

Danni shook her head with disbelief.

"Um…okay…okay."

Danni felt her entire body go into shock. The Maverick was off the radar? That couldn't be possible. This couldn't be happening…not to him, not to her.

A wave of despair hit Danni and she laid her head on the desk. Tears began to fall as she thought of Blake alone in the Bering Sea.

Emily walked over and laid a comforting arm across her shoulders. She shook her head with sadness and disbelief.

"God help them…"

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	14. Chapter 14

Five days later…

Emily walked over to the large ceiling to floor window that overlooked the harbor and sighed. Danni was out sitting on her bench again, bundled up in her parka and staring out towards the Bering Sea.

Repair crews had been in and out of the Elbow Room since the day of the storm. They repaired their roof and cleaned up the debris and the water damage. While they worked on other buildings and helped remove fallen trees from the area, they stopped in often for a drink or two.

Danni continued to work but she seemed distant. Ever since the Coast Guard called off the search for the Maverick, Danni had closed in on herself. She did not talk except to ask a customer what they wanted to drink.

Things only got worse when the news came in that most of the fleet was heading back to the harbor that afternoon. This was the day Danni was supposed to be looking forward to…seeing Blake again. But now she was not sure if she would be able to handle not seeing the Maverick pulling alongside the dock. She felt utterly lost and alone. Her heart was breaking all over again.

Suddenly a loud shout came from the docks. Danni jumped slightly and peered down in the direction of the shout. It was a woman pointing out across the harbor. Danni followed her line of sight and realized why the woman was so excited.

In the distance the form of a boat slowly emerged from the gloom. Behind that boat, another larger form appeared. The fleet was coming home…

Emily felt her heart soar when she recognized the outline of the Cornelia Marie behind the other boat, the Northwestern. She smiled as she opened the door and ran down to the dock.

Danni watched her friend rush down toward the docks. Her heart suddenly felt heavy and her throat threatened to close in on itself.

Emily froze, suddenly remembering Danni. She whirled around and shot her friend a despairing and apologetic look. Danni shook her head and motioned for her friend to go on. Emily gave her a grateful glance before she turned back to watch the boats come in.

As the Northwestern and the Cornelia Marie reached the docks, the Time Bandit and the Wizard turned into the harbor.

Shouts and cries of excitement echoed off the mountains. Wives, children, parents, and siblings were jumping up and down and cheering as their loved ones came home.

Soon, it became too much for Danni to bear. She stood up from the bench and gave the harbor a last passing glance as she turned to head back inside…

Two days later…One week after the Maverick disappeared…

Danni made herself a thermos of hot coffee and pulled on her parka.

Emily watched as she made her way outside back to her favorite bench. She frowned in concern for her friend as the other door opened.

Josh walked in and shot Emily a loving look as he sauntered over to her. He saw the look on her face and inclined his head giving her a questioning look.

"It's Danni," said Emily as she nodded in her direction, "She won't ever leave that bench. I think she's in denial. I mean, they're gone right? There's nothing we can do…"

Emily paused as she felt her throat tighten. She bit her lower lip, trying to keep from crying. Josh's eyes were full of concern as he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly.

"I know, baby, I know," he murmured sadly, "I wish there was something we could have done too. I wish I could have talked to Blake at least, you know? We always fought but I guess I always assumed nothing like this would happen."

Emily saw the look of guilt pass over Josh's eyes. She smiled sadly as she kissed him.

"Don't be too upset," she said, trying to reassure him, "You're fishermen…it's what you do."

Josh smirked slightly as he turned to look out the window. He saw Danni huddled on her bench, watching over the harbor. He shook his head in despair.

"It's like she's watching for them to come in," he murmured sadly, "Maybe I should go talk to her?"

Emily nodded encouragingly. She tried to talk to Danni earlier but Danni refused to listen to her. She just wanted to sit out on her bench and stay lost in her own little world.

Josh opened the door slowly and stepped out into the chilly air. He glanced briefly at Danni and shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Hey," he said after a moment.

Danni glanced over her shoulder to see who it was. She sighed and turned back around.

"Hi," she muttered quietly.

Josh walked over a little closer to her.

"So, how are you holding up?" he asked with genuine concern in his eyes and voice.

Danni shrugged.

Josh sighed and looked out over the harbor. It was a rather chilly morning and it was beginning to snow.

"Maybe you should go back in?" he asked, "It's starting to snow. It's going to get really cold out here."

Danni glanced at him for a second before she replied.

"I've been out here every day since I heard they were missing," she murmured, "I'm not leaving. If I was the one lost out there, he would wait for me. He wouldn't give up so why should I?"

Josh looked rather taken back by her response. Emily had told him she thought Danni was in denial but he had no idea she was in it this badly.

"Danni…"

"I know what you're going to say so just don't bother!" she snapped, with a defiant look in her eyes, "Everyone thinks I've gone off the deep end…that I'm in denial. Well I'm not! I know very well what could have happened to them but I'm not giving up hope until all hope is lost. They could still be out there…"

"Danni you know that's impossible," said Josh, trying to reason with her, "If they were they would have called in."

"And what if their communication system was down?" Danni shot back.

Josh shook his head and sighed.

"You need to just accept…"

"Accept what?" screamed Danni, "That he's dead? No! I can't accept that and I won't!"

Danni began to cry as she jerked her head away from Josh. She glared out into the harbor, refusing to look back up at him.

"Danni…"

"Just go," muttered Danni, miserably, "Please just go and leave me alone."

Josh shot her a despairing look as he turned to go back into the Elbow Room. He did not know if Danni would ever be able to come to grips with the fact that the Maverick was gone…and that Blake was gone too.

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	15. Chapter 15

One week later…

Danni woke up early that morning in a cold sweat. She ran her hands across her wet forehead, breathing heavily. It was the nightmare again.

Every night since the Maverick went off the radar, she had that same recurring nightmare about a boat filling up with water, people screaming, and wave after massive wave slamming into the boat's exposed hull.

She look a few deep breaths and tried to calm herself down. She glanced over at the alarm clock as she took a sip of water from the glass she left on her nightstand. It was five o'clock.

With a sigh, Danni made her way to the shower, feeling an urge to wash away the dream from her mind and body. She closed her eyes as the warm water washed over her face. Blake's face flashed behind her eyes and she blinked them open in shock. She shuddered slightly and finished up her shower quickly.

After she dried off and got dressed, she pulled her long black hair into a ponytail and through on her parka. She walked down the darkened stairway and made her way across the room towards the door.

She opened the door and sat down slowly on her bench. It was a cool morning, not as cold as it had been the past few days, and mist was rising from the harbor. The boats looked like ghost ships sitting in the docks as the mist swirled around their hulls. It was perfectly silent except for an occasional bird or the soft lapping of the water on the shore. Everything was so peaceful, yet everything in Danni's mind was not.

It had now been over two weeks since the Maverick disappeared. She wondered briefly if she should give up this desperate watch and accept the truth. She had seen how much she was upsetting Emily and Josh. They checked in on her frequently to make sure she was still okay.

The Northwestern crew stopped by the Elbow Room yesterday. They talked to her and gave her comforting hugs, trying their best to ease her inner pain. The other boat captains visited the Elbow Room more often than usual. They tried to appear casual and said they were just craving a few extra drinks the past few days, but Danni knew the real reason they kept coming in. They were worried about her too.

She was touched by how many people cared about her and how she felt. She did not realize that she had made such an impact on these fishermen in the time she had owned the Elbow Room. These men were tough, but they had big hearts.

Danni sighed and watched the mist curl and rise up off the water. She wondered briefly if she would ever feel normal again…if the pain would ever stop…if she could live her life again. Part of her said no, that from now on things would never be the same. The other part of her said yes, life would go on. It was hard, but she would make it through.

As Danni gazed out over the water, she noticed a slight disturbance in the flat calm water in the distance. An odd shape began to form in the mist out in the distance. She narrowed her eyes, trying to see what it was. Maybe it was the old trawler finally coming back in after months of fishing? Maybe it was one of the in dependent fishing vessels?

But as the form cleared the shrouding mist, Danni's heart leapt into her throat. She gasped in shock and disbelief. There was no way…it couldn't be! She could not breathe. Was she dreaming? She had to be. There was no other explanation…but there was also no mistaking the dark colored frame of the crab boat that was slowly pulling into the harbor.

It was the Maverick.

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	16. Chapter 16

As the ragged boat slowly limped closer to the docks, Danni finally felt her breath return to her. She did not realize she had been holding it for so long. Her body had gone into shock and her mind went numb.

She watched the torn up boat come into the harbor and she thought she had never seen a more beautiful sight.

The Maverick's hull was bent and scraped. It's sides looked like someone had taken a sledgehammer to them. Sections of the boat had been hammered in with the rogue waves that had constantly slammed into the wounded vessel. The wheelhouse had windows and lights missing. Some of the mast lights hung down at awkward and unnatural angles. The boat had taken a horrible beating, but it made it home and right then, that was all that really mattered.

Blake saw Danni sitting on her bench in front of the Elbow Room. He laughed loudly with relief and sheer joy at the sight of her sitting there, waiting for him. Only Danni would have had enough faith to do something like that. He wondered how he had gotten so lucky.

He winced slightly and put an arm across his ribs as he guided the boat up to the docks. He had fractured some of his ribs when he slammed into the other side of the wheelhouse after taking on a massive wave. After the boat righted itself, another rogue wave had slammed into them. It knocked the EPIRB right off the boat, killed their power, and took out the antennas necessary for clear communication. Blake had tried in vain to radio in for help, but every source of power had been stripped from the boat by the rogue wave. They had been stuck in the middle of the violent Bering Sea alone and with an engine that had threatened to shut down at any moment. It had been a long trip home for the wounded and weary crew. The boat could only go at half speed and its crippling injuries slowed it down even more. It was a miracle that they were pulling into the docks right then. Against all odds, they had survived.

Danni stood in shock as she watched the mangled vessel pull alongside the docks. Two of the deckhands leapt off onto the dock to tie it off. Finally, Danni seemed to snap out of her trance. She leapt off the bench and ran down to the docks, stumbling and nearly falling in her mad rush to see Blake.

The second the men tied the boat to the dock, Blake ran out of the wheelhouse. He saw Danni running over to them and climbed as quickly as he could, down to the deck and onto the dock. He put one arm across his sore ribs and held out the other arm to hug Danni.

Danni felt tears stream down her face as she held onto Blake. And as far as she was concerned, she was never letting go…

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I got excited when I came to this part of the story so I guess I went on another writing spree!! Epilogue's coming up next!


	17. Chapter 17

Epilogue

Three days later…

The crew of the Maverick had been tended to by the local Dutch Harbor doctors. One deckhand had a broken arm, one had a sprained wrist, another just a rolled ankle. As it turned out, Blake's ribs were not broken, but were severely bruised. The doctor gave him painkillers and sent him on his way.

The captains of the other fishing vessels got together and decided to throw the Maverick boys a welcome home party. The crews thought it was a great idea and hit the local stores for supplies.

Danni and Emily managed to get Blake and his crew out of the Elbow Room long enough for everyone else to decorate. They took them out to lunch and distracted them for as long as they could.

When they walked back into the Elbow Room, even Danni and Emily were shocked to see what the other crews had done.

"Welcome home!" shouted everyone as they walked inside.

There was a massive banner hung across the room that said: "Welcome Home Maverick!"

Steamers, balloons, confetti, and tons of food covered the entire Elbow Room from floor to ceiling. The Maverick crew was stunned by what the other captains and crews had done for them. It was overwhelming.

Blake's eyes brightened when he saw Sig Hansen walk over to him. The older Norwegian captain had supported Blake and offered to give him help and advice whenever he needed it. They had formed a special bond out on the sea and Blake was happy to see him again.

Sig gave Blake a big hug and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Well done, kid," he said as he pulled away, "You brought your crew home. You didn't lose a single man in that storm. All the odds were stacked against you, but you beat the hell out of every single one of them! I'm proud of you, kiddo. Great job."

Blake teared up slightly at the well-respected captain's praise.

Just then, Josh Harris walked over to them. Sig nodded in his direction and moved over to where the other captains were gathered.

Josh did not say a word at first. Instead, he reached out and hugged Blake.

Blake's eyes widened in surprise. This was definitely not what he was expecting.

"I'm glad you're okay," said Josh as he stepped back, "And I want to apologize for earlier…"

Blake held up a hand to stop him.

"Let it go," he insisted, "We're crabbers, it's what we do, right?"

Josh smirked and nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. See you around?"

"Yeah, sure."

Blake watched Josh walk away and shook his head in bewilderment. He thought back over all that had 

happened. It truly was a miracle that they were back in Dutch Harbor, safe and sound, laughing and having a good time with their friends in the same building they had all known for years: The Elbow Room.

Blake did not realize up until that moment what this place meant for all of them. When they had a bad day they came here to drink and talk about their problems to Danni and Emily, they came here to celebrate, party, have a good time. But most importantly for Blake, he met the girl of his dreams here. And now here he was, standing beside of her again, celebrating the safe return of his crew.

He shook his head in disbelief as he looked around the room at all the familiar faces:

Sig Hansen: his mentor and second father

Phil Harris: the tough, but big-hearted captain

The Hillstrands: the wild, partiers and pranksters

Josh Harris: his old enemy, now his new friend

Emily: Danni's best friend and waitress of the Elbow Room

And finally Danni…

Blake shot a look in Emily's direction. Emily nodded in understanding and leapt up onto the bar. She grabbed a glass and began to hit it with a metal butter knife.

Everyone grew quiet and looked over at her with curious expressions.

Danni shot Emily a confused look. She was smiling in her direction, but Danni had no clue as to why.

She turned around to ask Blake what was going on, but was shocked to see he was no longer standing in front of her…he was kneeling.

Danni covered her mouth with her hand in surprise. She laughed suddenly as tears of joy began to fall down her face.

Blake smiled up at her. He could not wait to spend the rest of his life with this beautiful woman.

"Danni…will you marry me?"

THE END

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